William Mitchell, MD
Dr. William Mitchell is a medical oncologist whose practice is dedicated to the care of patients with all types of thoracic cancers, including lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and thymomas. A large part of his clinical role at UC San Diego’s Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center is dedicated to palliative care: he directs the Doris Howell Service for Palliative Medicine at UC San Diego.[1]
Dr. Mitchell believes that doctors caring for patients with cancer may be placing too much emphasis on technology rather than the human side of medicine. He says, “I think the fault largely rests with physicians. I think we could do a much better job being open and honest, and directly communicating with people to help them make decisions that will improve.”[2]
Education and Career
Dr. Mitchell earned his medical degree at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah. His internship and residency in Internal Medicine were completed at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He followed this education with fellowships at UC San Diego’s School of Medicine and the San Diego Hospice and Institute for Palliative Medicine.[1]
Research
Dr. Mitchell’s research spans his clinical interests and explores how different cancer interventions can play a role in palliative care.
His publications include:[3]
Retrospective analysis of pharmacist interventions in an ambulatory palliative care practice. J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2016 Dec; 22(6):757-765. Ma JD, Tran V, Chan C, Mitchell WM, Atayee RS. PMID: 26428283.
Palliative radiation before hospice: the long and the short of it. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2014 Dec; 48(6):1070-9. Yeung HN, Mitchell WM, Roeland EJ, Xu B, Mell LK, Le QT, Murphy JD. PMID: 24819083.
The role of palliative medicine in cancer patient care. Cancer Treat Res. 2008; 140:159-71. Mitchell WM, von Gunten CF. PMID: 18283775.
